Editorial: Summer can be costly; consider donating school supplies

Summer is viewed and often experienced as a carefree time of year. But, summer is often a costly time of year for many families with two working parents.

With kids being off from school for two months or more, and parents needing still to work, other arrangements for children’s care and entertainment must be made.

Especially in Fairfield County, summer camps, whether daily, weekly, or sleepaway, can cost in the hundreds of dollars.

And if a babysitter is your option instead, many of us can feel like the babysitter is making more than we are on a day-to-day basis.

But these are children, our most precious gifts, and it is worth it to make sure they are having fun and are well taken care of.

In addition to that, there is the back-to-school financial aspect of summer.

For those facing economic struggles, the simple need to restock school supplies — something many of us might just take for granted — can be a tremendous burden.

This is especially true if more than one child is involved

To that end, if we don’t face those kinds of struggles, there are many options for us to give back to families in need of school supplies.

The town’s Human Services Department is currently doing its annual school supplies drive. The United Church of Rowayton is also currently doing a backpack drive.

And a quick Google search will provide numerous opportunities in Fairfield County and beyond to donate school supplies.

Also, in many cases when students don’t have the supplies they need, our dedicated teachers often reach into their own pockets to make up for the deficit both classroom and student-wise.

Another option, if we have the means, is when buying supplies for our own students, to buy some extra to donate to the classroom well. An extra glue stick, pack of pencils, or in the case of younger students, crayons, are never going to go to waste in a classroom closet.

The first day of school is always an exciting time but can also be intimidating socially as children acclimate to friends and peer groups. Having them confidently equipped with the right school supplies is a great start.

It is only the second day of August, but it is never too early to think about those who might be in need in a month.